Lost Soul
by SecondStarToTheRight18
Summary: COMPLETE. For those still living, Life goes on. Is this good or is this bad? And what is pain, That it makes us sad? CAN someone really get so mad? Cruel acts and evil deed... Why choose THAT life to seize? Lost Soul...
1. Let ‘Em See You Smile!

Okay, y'all! This is something that came to me on Christmas day, which is when I began it, and I wrote it up this past week. It's only about 6 chapters in all but it's still good, if I do say so myself! ;)

**I feel it only fair to warn you that it will be very, very sad.**

I hope so bad that y'all won't hate me and not read any more of my stuff after this! (I almost hate myself for writing it! lol!) But seriously, I do hope y'all will keep reading my other stuff and will also enjoy this story.

Well, here's the first chapter, do let me know what you think and if I get a lot of negetive reviews, well, I'll take it down and throw it in the closet!

**I do not own Summerland.**

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**Summery:**

_For those still living,  
Life goes on.  
Is this good or is this bad?  
And what is pain,  
That it makes us sad?  
CAN someone really get so mad?  
Cruel acts and evil deeds...  
Why choose THAT life to seize?_  
**Lost Soul...**

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**1.**

_**Let 'Em See You Smile!  
**__**(Cause This'll Be Their Last Chance...)**_

Ava Gregory stood on the beach watching the waves come in... It was around 10:00am and only about two other people were on the beach with her. It was Christmas day but she really didn't care... no one was celebrating it this year anyway... or at least, not at her house...

She thought about her house and what was probably going on there right now;

The tree, which Susannah had put up in vain hopes of making Derrick feel better, was standing tall in the middle of the living room unaware of the sadness in the house with presents for everyone, wrapped and ready to open underneath it's proud branches.

There was a turkey and dressing, Susannah was trying to keep things as normal as possible, in the oven and Susannah was also cooking other good little odd and ends with Johnny's help. Ava was too upset to hang around the house on Christmas day feeling the way she felt.

Nikki was probably up in her room blasting Evanescence's _My Immortal_ as loud as she could and writing in her diary or crying... or both.

Derrick was probably lying on Bradin's bed staring at the ceiling.

Johnny, Jay and Susannah were probably all going around the house cooking and what not in a sort of "dazed" state and trying to make the kids feel better and enjoy Christmas like they should.

Ava sat down in the sand as her mind wandered to the presents under the tree. She had, after some finally decided on something for each of the kids. She'd gotten Nikki _Little Women_, because she knew how much she liked to read, some makeup, _Evanescence: The Open Door_ and a skirt and top.

She got Derrick a skateboard and an _X Box 360_ with about 5 games. Yeah, he was gonna like that she was sure.

Then there was Bradin; she hadn't been sure _what_ to get him. She had _finally_ decided on some CDs and a stereo. She got the stereo and then had to sneak around his room while he was asleep trying to see what CDs he had and didn't have! Ah, that had been quite an experience...

What else the kids got she didn't know... She'd find out what Nikki and Derrick got soon enough but Bradin... she didn't know if she ever would.

_----------_

_Ava marked off the 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th of November realizing it was the 20th and no one had marked off the days before! She shook her head, since the kids came along 6 months ago life around the Gregory household had been pretty hectic... But she wouldn't send them away no matter what! She'd grown to love them far too much and they were just starting to return to a normal (enough) state since their parents' death back in May._

_She turned back to the stove to finish cooking supper when a knock sounded at the door, "I'll get it, Aunt Ava!" Nikki called, running downstairs, Ava continued stirring for a second then put her spoon down and walked into the living room. _

_Nikki reached the door and pulled it open but what she saw made her step back._

_Two policemen stood on the doorstep. Their tags read "Burt" and "Kent."_

"_Does a Miss Gregory live here?" the one, whose tag said Kent, asked._

"_**I'm **__Miss Gregory," Ava said coming up behind Nikki, "is there something I can do for you?"_

"_Well, yes. Does a Bradin Westerly live at this residence?" Kent asked._

"_Yes..."_

"_And you are his aunt and legal guardian, correct?"_

"_Y- yes I am..." Ava frowned, "What did he do now?"_

_The officers exchanged a glance. "Um... nothing, Miss Gregory... May we speak to you for a minute... alone?" Burt spoke for the first time in the conversation._

"_Yes, um- of course," Ava replied stepping out onto the porch and shutting the door behind her. "Now," she began, "what is it?"_

"_Well... we- we uh... We don't quite know how to tell you this but- we..." Kent looked down at the ground as his partner took up where he left off._

"_Miss Gregory," he said with a poker face, "we found a body."_

_----------_

Tears came to Ava's eyes, stinging them harshly, ran down her cheeks and splashed onto her bare legs as the events of that day, and the days that followed, so vividly replayed in her mind.

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"_Nikki, Bradin, Derrick, breakfast!" Ava called up to her niece and two nephews, "Hurry up!"_

"_Derrick instantly appeared followed closely by Nikki, Susannah, Johnny and, finally, Jay._

"_Wow, Nikki! You look cute today," Ava commented her 13 year old niece as she gave her a plate and some eggs. "Spending the day with Cameron?"_

_Nikki blushed, "Yeah... Aunt Ava, do I **really **look cute?" she asked a bit nervously._

"_Mm-mm, you sure do!" Ava smiled. She gave Derrick his plate and said, "Got a big game tomorrow right? You gonna be practicing your throwing today?" She smiled at her 8-year-old nephew._

_Derrick looked up at his aunt with sad eyes, "No, I mean, yeah, I have a big game but I'm not gonna be practicing cause nobody has time to help me... Nikki's gonna be at the beach with Cameron, Johnny's got to go to work, Jay said he can't cause he's got something important to do, and you said you and Susannah are gonna be busy all day..."_

"_Oh, I'm sorry, Derrick... Well what about your brother?" Ava said taking her seat while the other adults made their plates._

"_Ha! Bradin's gonna be glued to some girl all day!" Derrick said disdainfully._

"_Oh really? How do you know that?" Ava asked raising one eyebrow._

"_Well... he **probably** will be... I mean... he..." Derrick let out a defeated sigh, "I don't. In fact I doubt it..."_

"_Than why did you say it?" Ava asked taking a bite of her eggs._

"_I don't know... just cause he never wants to do anything with me... ever since Mommy and Dad-" Derrick swallowed his emotions, "Daddy died, Bradin's been... different._

"_I'm sorry, Derrick... How 'bout I try to squeeze in about an hour's worth of practice with you this afternoon?"_

_Derrick sighed, "Okay, Aunt Ava... thanks."_

"_You're welcome, Sweetie, now you better eat! And Derrick," Ava said making him look at her, "don't worry, you're gonna do **wonderful** at your game tomorrow and we're all gonna be there cheering you on!" Ava smiled encouragingly._

"_Bradin too?"_

"_Yes, Bradin too." Ava assured him._

_Susannah gave her friend a big smile telling her she'd taken care of that one wonderfully. Ava smiled back just as all the adults sat down. _

"_So um..." Johnny spoke up suddenly, "is Bradin here?"_

"_Bradin!" Ava yelled loudly, "Bradin Westerly!!"_

_No answer._

_Everyone but Derrick exchanged a look then began eating. They all knew Bradin had been at a party the night before... Apparently he hadn't even come home..._

_Ava was just thinking that she was gonna have to have a talk with that boy when a thud from the living room was heard by all and then Bradin's voice, "Shit!"_

_Ava shook her head, "That boy and his language around Derrick... Looks like I'm **still** gonna have to have a talk with him," she thought._

_Bradin walked into the kitchen, got a plate of food and took his place at the table as though he was right on time._

"_Bradin..." Ava ventured, "would it be 'appropriate' for you to tell us where you were?" she finished slowly. She meant, was it something he could say in front of Derrick?_

"_Oh yeah... sorry about being late and all... I had to pick up a... friend." Bradin suddenly stood up and rushed into the living room. Everyone exchanged a look that said, "What's he doing now?" He returned a minute later, stood in the doorway, looked at Nikki and said, "Nik, you get my Christmas Present a little, er... a lot early this year!"_

"_Nikki stopped eating and stared as Bradin with a puzzled look._

"_My present to you is for you to get to spend this whole weekend hanging backstage at the 2006 Fashion Awards with-" Bradin stepped aside and as if on cue, which she was, a woman stepped into his place and, taking up where he left off, said, "Miss Amy La'viva Labelle."_

_Nikki jumped from her seat squealing, "Oh my gosh, Bradin!! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!" She ran to him and nearly knocked him down with the force of the hug she gave him._

_Bradin looked a little startled but quickly "recovered" and hugged her back saying, "You're welcome, Nik! Glad you like it!" He pulled away and said, "But take it easy! Ya gotta save some of the love for Miss Labelle!" He winked at Amy and again took his place at the table while Nikki gushed about how much she loved her designs and what a great person she was to give nice clothes to orphans and this and that to Miss Amy._

"_Awe, Bradin! That is so sweet of you!" Ava cooed to her oldest charge with a huge smile on her face._

"_Bradin shrugged his shoulders, "Awe, it was nothing really... I know how much she loves Amy's designs and I know a girl who knows Amy so I asked, er... **begged** her to talk to Amy." Bradin took a sip of his orange juice before continuing, "So anyway, my friend finally agreed to talk to Amy who agreed to talk to me and then she agreed to do it!" Bradin laughed, "But don't think it didn't cost **me**!"_

"_Oh? She made you pay? I somehow thought you meant she agreed to do it for free... how much?" Ava looked a little surprised._

"_No, no, no! I meant is cost me to get my **friend**, Lindsay, to talk to Amy," Bradin grinned, "she's making me teach her to surf... I don't mind really though."_

"_Oh... I get it now!" Ava laughed. Just then Amy and Nikki sat down at the table. Nikki had asked Amy if she'd eaten and when she replied that she hadn't Nikki and Susannah insisted that she eat with them. Ava stood to get her a glass of juice while Susannah got her a plate. Just as Ava sat back down Bradin stood up saying, "Well, I'm going down to the beach for **my** surfing lesson and then I'm meeting up with Lindsay to give **her** a surfing lesson!" He smiled and rumpled Derrick's hair, "I'll see you this afternoon to help you with your throwing, how's that sound?"_

"_Great!" Derrick grinned from ear to ear at his big brother._

"_Alright, I'll see you then!"_

_Nikki stood up and hugged Bradin again, "Thank you **so** much, Brae!" she whispered in his ear._

"_You're welcome," he hugged her back then pulled away, messed up her hair and said, "I'll be back to make up for being nice to you by annoying you all the way till New Years starting at dinner tonight!"_

"_Bradin!" Nikki couldn't help laughing at the look he gave her. _

_He laughed too, "Well I'm going to!"_

_Nikki took her seat shaking her head at her older brother._

_Bradin walked over to his aunt, "Bye, Aunt Ava," he said and gave her a kiss on the cheek._

"_Bye, Sweetie," Ava said. She stood and whispered to him, "And that was so sweet of you to remember Derrick needed help with his throwing. He was really upset that no one was gonna help him earlier."_

_Bradin nodded then turned to Jay, "You need me to come in today?"_

"_Uh... Yeah, for about an hour if you can," Jay said._

"_Sure, no problem, When?"_

"_Come at about 2 this afternoon and you can leave at 3, that okay?"_

"_Alright, see you then!" Bradin said and went upstairs._

_A few minutes later everybody got up and started clearing the table talking and laughing about this and that. _

_Jay left just before Bradin returned from his room carrying his surfboard and a bag that contained his wet suit and whatnot. "I'll see you guys later!"_

"_Bye, Bradin!" everybody smiled at him and laughed at having said it at the same time._

_With one of his "trademarked" dazzling smiles Bradin went out the door._

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Thanks so much for reading! Hate me yet? ;) Hope not! If you're raging mad at me now or if you love it or if you were crying or whatever... REVIEW!!! prepares for a "text" beating

_Anna Christie_ AKA _SecondStarToTheRight15_


	2. Secrets Confessed

**I do not own Summerland.**

Hey, kbg17223, I told you I'd update it just for you even if I didn't get any more reviews!! You were the only one... Thanks so much!

That kinda makes me sad... I had hoped this story would have more readers... oh well! Here's the next chapter! I won't update it unless I get at least ONE review! So review!!

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**2.**

_**Secrets Confessed**_

_Bradin met up with Erica shortly after leaving the house and had his surfing lesson, which he did wonderful at, and then he taught Lindsay a few things before she cut her foot on a rock._

"_You okay?" Bradin said running up to her as she crawled out of the water, her foot bleeding. _

"_Yeah... I'm okay I think..." Lindsay tried to smile but it was obvious that she was in pain._

_He helped her over to their bags where she sat down and peeled off the top of her wet suit while Bradin went through his bag until he found a small towel. He gently wiped the blood from her foot and helped her take her wet suit off the rest of the way. She got a bandage out of her bag and wrapped it around her foot._

"_There, I think I'll be okay now," she smiled at Bradin making him smile back. "So, did Nikki like her present?"_

"_I'll say she did!" Bradin laughed, "Thanks for talking to Amy." _

"_No prob. so... you wanna just hang out here for the remainder of my lesson?"_

"_Sounds cool," Bradin said and sat down next to her. _

"_You know, Bradin, I..." Lindsay looked over at the boy sitting next to her, she had liked him for as long as she'd known him. She liked him before that too! She first saw him about 3 months ago at school, fell in love with his smile and then met him 2 weeks later. After meeting him she instantly fell for him, hard. But all he'd taken her for was a friend... it was starting to really get to her that maybe she'd never get him as her boyfriend._

"_You what?" Bradin asked and looked over at her._

_Their eyes locked and neither of them said anything for a full 3 minutes then Bradin moved closer to her and, before either of them knew what was going on, their lips met._

_Lindsay's pulse raced and her emotions exploded into shear happiness as Bradin's lips met hers. He silently sought permission to kiss her more deeply and she silently gave him that permission by opening her mouth ever so slightly._

_Bradin really couldn't believe he was kissing Lindsay and he wasn't sure if she was going to pull away any second and be furious at him for it but as of the present second, he didn't care. His whole body tingled with excitement and his heart was beating 90 miles a minute. He ran his tongue over her lips seeking her permission to enter her mouth and was a little surprised when she let him, but he didn't question it, he just kissed her deeply putting his hands around her waist as she wrapped hers around his neck._

_The need for oxygen finally separated the two teens. They stared into each other's eyes for another 3 minutes before Lindsay looked away feeling herself blush. Bradin took his hands off of her waist and she let hers drop from his neck._

"_Um... I'm uh... I'm sorry Linds... I-"_

"_Are you **really** sorry, Bradin? Are you?" Lindsay looked into his eyes searching for the truth, "Cause if you are I'm gonna have to slap you!" She laughed slightly trying not to cry. She'd wanted Bradin far too long for him to not want her now! Now that she was **so** close to having him._

_Bradin looked straight at her, "No, I'm not sorry I kissed you, Lindsay... And to tell you the whole truth I really enjoyed it! But I **will** be sorry if I've made you mad by doing it though!_

"_You haven't made me mad! I loved it, Brae-" Lindsay stopped herself realizing she was being to anxious._

"_You did?" A huge smile slowly spread across Bradin's face._

_Lindsay silently nodded._

_Bradin reached over and hugged her. He pulled away to find a huge smile on her face as well. He laughed, "So Lindsay, will you be my girlfriend?"_

"_Yes!" Lindsay laughed back and kissed Bradin deeply pushing him onto his back. He kissed her back and pulled her down on top of him._

_After a minute Bradin was suddenly aware of someone standing by them. He opened his eyes to see his friend, Josh, standing over him with a funny look on his face. He gently pushed Lindsay off of him._

"_Hey, don't you think y'all oughta' go somewhere else if y'all are about to... uh..."_

"_We're not," Lindsay felt her face flush at the suggestion Bradin's friend was making._

"_Good, cause I really didn't wanna see that!" He gave Bradin a though-she-**is**-totally-hot-you-lucky-son-of-a-bitch look and then laughed, "So, Brae, I was wondering if you'd wanna catch some waves with me?"_

"_Eh, I don't know, Man, I've been surfing all morning." Bradin said, but really he didn't wanna leave Lindsay._

"_Uh huh, sure... **that's **why you don't wanna surf!" He frowned, "Just how stupid do you think I am anyway?"_

"_Not very." Bradin laughed, "maybe some other time, huh?"_

"_Okay, but as long as you're here could you keep an eye out for me? I mean, if I go down and don't come back up, well, you know the drill right?"_

"_Yeah, sure... I'll watch out for you. **If **my eyes are open that is," he winked at Josh who laughed, turned and ran off towards the water with his board. _

"_So... where were we?" Bradin asked pulling Lindsay into another deep kiss._

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_Bradin walked down the beach with the biggest smile on his face. He'd just spent the last 2 hours lying in the sand with Lindsay kissing and talking and kissing some more. Ah, he was really gonna like her, he could tell. Of course, he'd liked her ever since he met her but he thought she only wanted to be friends and he could never get the nerve to ask her out anyway. But now it was different, they were finally together! And it wasn't just the physical he was going to like, no, she was the kinda girl he could talk to about anything and not feel uncomfortable. She was amazing..._

_In his daydreaming thoughts he managed to walk past Jay's surf shop, which is where he was headed, suddenly realizing his error and why he'd made it he turned red and quickly turned around heading back up to Jay's._

"_Hey, Jay!" He said walking into the back room with his board and bag. _

_Upon hearing Bradin's voice Jay, who was bent over something in a box, suddenly jumped and hit his head on a shelf and made several things fall down on his back._

"_Oh... sorry," Bradin tried hard not to laugh but failed miserably, "Here," he said dropping his bag on the floor and leaning his board against a wall, "I'll help you."_

"_No, that's okay I've got it." Jay almost seemed mad at Bradin offering to help him._

"_Okay, whatever you say, man..." Bradin backed away from him, "So you told me to come in about now... what'd you want me to do?"_

"_Oh right... I uh... actually Bradin, I didn't really need you in the shop today." Jay said going over to Bradin and putting his hand on his shoulder, "I wanted to uh... talk to you... why don't we go for a walk down to Spanish Cove and I can show you something on you board too, okay?"_

"_Yeah... uh... sure, whatever." Bradin said with a shrug, "Let's go!"_

"_Alright!" Jay grabbed Bradin's board and Bradin grabbed his board._

_They walked out the front entrance and Jay locked up his shop. As they made their way down to Spanish Cove Bradin started smiling again and Jay seemed to notice but didn't say anything until they were in a secluded par of the cove._

"_So, what are you so happy about anyway?" Jay asked with a frown._

"_Huh? Oh," Bradin looked down embarrassed, "Just a girl..."_

"_Oh really? Who?" Jay was sure he meant Erica but he thought he'd ask anyway._

"_Just... a girl I know that's all..." Bradin didn't want Jay to think he'd moved on from Erica **that** fast! Especially after having caused such a fuss over the whole thing. It would just make Jay angrier probably._

"_I see." Jay said curtly, now he was sure he meant Erica and that was the final straw._

_Bradin stood looking out at the water, he bent down, picked up a small shell and tossed it into the water. He really wanted to talk to Jay about Lindsay but he could tell that now wasn't a good time. "So what was it you wanted to talk to me about, Jay?" He said turning around to face him._

_Jay stood behind Bradin, he was tossing a shell into the water... "Little jerk! He tries to steal away **my** girl and then he just acts like it's no big deal! And Erica! Ha, Erica's so naive to think that Bradin really cares about her, he just wants to sleep with her! Stupid little son of a-" Jay's thoughts were cut off by Bradin as he said something and turned around. Jay really hadn't heard what he'd said but it didn't matter anyway. It was either now or never!_

_He lunged at Bradin knocking him onto his back in the water._

"_Oh..." Bradin groaned as his head hit a rock in the shallow water, "Jay, what the hell!?"_

"_You tried to steal away my girl, you bastard," Jay yelled at him and pulled up his head then slammed in onto the rock again._

"_Uh! Stop! Jay, Jay, I'm-"_

_Bradin didn't get to finish what he was saying for Jay slammed him onto the rock again._

"_Jay, Jay, stop!" Bradin tried to push Jay off of him but it was no use, Jay was way stronger than he was. "Jay, please!" Bradin was now close to tears do to the pain coming from his head. "Jay! Jay, what are you doing!?"_

"_Shut up you stupid little son of a bitch!" Jay screamed in Bradin's face._

"_Jay..." Bradin was rapidly losing strength, "Jay, please, please stop..."_

"_Stop!? Ha, I'm gonna kill you, Bradin!" Jay snarled._

_Somehow Bradin didn't doubt that he **was** going to kill him, "Jay... no, please, please stop..." tears fell down the teen's face but they were unidentifiable as tears as water was constantly splashing over his face now._

_Bradin coughed desperately as he breathed in water and it filled his, already weak, lungs. "Jay," he coughed again, "please stop... why are you doing this." Bradin hadn't wanted it to but his voice betrayed the fact that he was crying._

"_Crying won't help you now, Bradin!" Jay yelled, "And I told you! You tried to steal my girl and all you wanted to do was sleep with her anyway!"_

"_Jay, that's not true! Jay, please, please listen to me! I didn't know she was yours at first and when I did I couldn't help but think you were hurting her! I'm sorry, I see that wasn't true now! Please, Jay, please let me up!" Bradin's head was bleeding badly and his breathing was strained, he was slowly losing any ability to keep his head above the water. Though it was pretty shallow he would still drown in it if he couldn't get up. "Jay..." he breathed slowly, "Jay, **please**..."_

_Jay kept Bradin pressed to the ground. He listened to what he said but wasn't it too late now? Would Bradin tell someone that he'd tried to kill him? Yes, it was too late, he'd have to go through with it now or go to prison for a long time and he'd never fit into society again! And of course, Erica would leave him if she ever found out!_

"_Jay, I won't..." Bradin had to stop to breath but he breathed in water making him cough violently, "tell anyone about this, please..." Bradin's eyelids slowly fell shut._

_Jay still didn't let go. Ha! He'd probably go straight to the police! How could he trust him!?_

_For several seconds Bradin didn't say anything, no one did. Jay held him down with an iron like grip and Bradin's struggling slowly began to stop until finally, and with an eerie suddenness, his whole body went completely limp under Jay's grasp.

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Well, there was the shocking chapter! I hope I haven't made you so mad that you'll never read my stuff again... Well, there are more chapters so if you want 'em you gotta review!! So... REVIEW!!

Thanks,  
_Anna Christie_ AKA_ SecondStarToTheRight15_


	3. Not Coming Home Tonight or Ever

**I do not own Summerland.**

Well hello again!! Wow! I came on here and was so (pleasently) surprised to find four new peeps reading my story!

Thanks so much for the reviews, y'all!

**Chris Grace: **Thank you. I was afraid y'all might like, hate me for killing of BRADIN especially since Jay killed him... but I'm so happy to see that y'all aren't!!

**BalletBeauty64: **Thank you!!

**froggy2045: **Thanks so much for reading, girl!

**matt: **Thank you so much!

And now, something y'all all seemed to want... the next chapter!!

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**3.**

_**Not Coming Home Tonight... Or Ever**_

_Jay Robertson slowly released his hold on Bradin as the horror of the realization of what he'd just done washed over him. He had just killed someone. In cold blood he'd murdered someone! He'd killed an innocent 16-year-old boy! What the fuck had he just done!? So what if he'd tried to take his girl? He was **16** for God's sake! 16 year olds did things like that and Erica wasn't interested in him anymore anyway so why the hell had he just **killed **Bradin!!?? "Oh my God..." Jay fell on his face crying, "Bradin... no! Oh my God, no... What have I done, oh my god, what the hell have I done to you!?" Of course Bradin did not reply, he was only a corpse now, he couldn't._

_Jay quickly realized the consequences of this and started thinking what to do... Bradin's head was still bleeding severally and that gave Jay an idea. He'd push Bradin's body a little further into the water and let the tide carry it away and then throw his board into the water too and leave his bag in the sand... make it look like he'd been surfing, hit his head on a rock and drowned... fool proof."_

_He slowly pushed Bradin's lifeless, limp, body, further into the water and watched as it half sunk, half floated, out into the Pacific Ocean. He then threw his board into the water and watched as the tide carried it out as well. He looked around for Bradin's bag and saw it lying in the sand; it would do right there. Jay took one last look in the water and saw that the tide was carrying it back towards the shore. That was fine, it was bound to reach the shore at some point._

_Jay quickly left the scene making a beeline for his shop where he went in, locked the door behind him, went into the back room and broke down. What was he going to do now?_

_After about 4 hours of senseless worrying and whatnot he finally resolved to never tell a living soul what he had done to Bradin._

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_Ava decided she better cook a lot for dinner that night as Bradin and Derrick would probably wanna eat a lot after doing sports all day. It was about 4 in the afternoon and Derrick came into the house, "Aunt Ava?" he asked coming up to her in the kitchen, "Wasn't Bradin supposed to be here by **now**?"  
_

_Ava felt certain he was but knew how Bradin could be late if he had his mind on something else. "I'm sure he'll be here any minute, Sweetie" Ava smiled at Derrick who only frowned._

"_I bet he forgot!" He said with a alight tone of sadness but more anger, "He always forgets me..."_

"_D., you know that's not true!" Nikki said coming into the kitchen, "I bet Bradin's on his way right now!" She gave Derrick an encouraging smile._

"_I hope you're right but I doubt it!" Derrick scowled and left the room._

"_I hope Bradin drags his butt up here soon!" Nikki said lowly to her aunt who nodded in agreement._

_It was 5:00pm when Ava began cooking dinner and at 6:00pm she was just finishing it and thinking how Bradin really should have made sure he kept his promise to Derrick about coming home to help him with his throwing. Derrick walked into the kitchen at the moment and said, "See, Aunt Ava! I **told** you he'd forgotten me! I told you, I told you, I told you!!"_

"_Okay, Derrick, now that's enough. I'm sure your brother didn't mean to forget you..." Ava was sure he'd just gotten tied up doing something else... probably with a girl... "Oh, that boy..." she started thinking, "Why can't he just make sure to keep one little promise to his brother! Goodness, he can be so irritating... I'm **really** gonna have to have a talk with him. Tonight! Yes, tonight-"_

"_Hey, Ava, what's the **real** date?" Jay asked walking into the kitchen._

"_Ha, ha! It's the 20th, Jay. Here, I'll 'x' them out." Ava laughed putting down her spoon and going over to the calendar._

"_Alright... that's fine." Jay walked back into the kitchen._

"_Hmm... I wonder what's up with him?" Ava thought noticing he seemed to be nervous about something._

_She had just finished crossing out the dates when a knock sounded at the door._

"_I'll get it, Aunt Ava!" Nikki yelled coming downstairs to answer the door._

_Nikki reached the door and pulled it open but what she saw made her step back._

_Two policemen stood on the doorstep. Their tags read "Burt" and "Kent."_

"_Does a Miss Gregory live here?" the one, whose tag said Kent, asked._

"_**I'm**__Miss Gregory," Ava said coming up behind Nikki, "is there something I can do for you?"_

"_Well, yes. Does a Bradin Westerly live at this residence?" Kent asked._

"_Yes..."_

"_And you are his aunt and legal guardian, correct?"_

"_Y- yes I am..." Ava frowned, "What did he do now?"_

_The officers exchanged a glance. "Um... nothing, Miss Gregory... May we speak to you for a minute... alone?" Burt spoke for the first time in the conversation._

"_Yes, um- of course," Ava replied stepping out onto the porch and shutting the door behind her. "Now," she began, "what is it?"_

"_Well... we- we uh... We don't quite know how to tell you this but- we..." Kent looked down at the ground as his partner took up where he left off._

"_Miss Gregory," he said with a poker face, "we found a body."_

_Ava stood stock still, her heart pounded in her chest and she was sure the officers could even hear it! After a full minute of silence Ava managed to stutter out, "Y- y- you w- what?"_

"_We found a body, Ma'am," Burt repeated solemnly, "It is assumed that it is the body of Bradin Westerly, but we will need your knowledge of the boy for assured identification." Burt pulled out a picture of a teenage boy's body laying in the sand and asked, "Is this him?"_

_Ava could not believe what she was hearing and now seeing, "I- is- is that the body that was f- found?" she asked, desperately trying to hold back the tears that were begging to fall._

"_Yes, Ma'am, it is, I'm sorry," Kent said lowly._

"_No! No, that's not him... I mean, yes.. yes, it is.. but... but he can't be dead... he just **can't **be!" Ava forgot about trying not to cry and tears sprung from her eyes and ran down her face as she continued, "Please tell me he isn't dead! Please!!" she cried harder and dropped her head saying, more lowly this time, "Please tell me **that** isn't why he broke his promise to Derrick... please... please tell me it wasn't because he was- dead."_

_Kent lifted her face, "Ma'am, we're so sorry but we're afraid that he **is** dead."_

"_No..." Ava wailed and again began crying._

"_Ma'am? Ma'am, please... we'll need you to come down to 1st Memorial Hospital tomorrow and definitely identify the body and to make arrangements as to what to do with it, Okay? We'll come by tomorrow around 10:00am if that's okay, Ma'am." Burt said softly._

_Ava nodded her head, still crying._

"_Ma'am, is there someone here who can assist you if you need it?"_

_Ava again nodded, she was beginning to stop crying a little and she looked up at the two men before and asked, almost inaudibly, "What happened to him?"_

"_We're not sure, Ma'am... We found the body about an hour ago but didn't know who it was until we found a bag on the beach with the name 'Westerly' on it. We looked inside and found out it belonged to a Bradin Westerly and traced him to this house. We're really not sure what happened at this time, but it seems to have been some sort of a surfing accident. We will inform you of any more information as it is discovered." Burt replied to her question._

"_Thank you... But I have to ask, what was he wearing?"_

"_Blue jeans and a green T-shirt, Ma'am. May I ask why?" Burt said._

"_Because if he was surfing he would have been wearing a wet suit! He **never** goes surfing without wearing one..." Ava sniffed hard and tried some more not to cry._

"_I see, well thank you for this information, it may be very helpful in figuring out what happened to him."_

"_It couldn't have been a surfing accident based on what he was wearing, Sir... So tell me why you thought it was." Ava said._

"_Because we found a surfboard with 'Westerly' written on it in the water close to where we found the body, Ma'am. But based off the information you just gave us, it looks like that was not the case after all." Burt said._

"_Where did you find him, and what did the... body look like?" Ava choked back more tears that were coming._

"_We found him down by Spanish Cove... it seems as though the body washed ashore and was in the water before we arrived. There was nothing noticeably wrong with the body except for the head... It was **badly** busted open in the back... looks like he hit his head on a rock, maybe more than once." Burt said._

"_I see... thank you, Officers... I'm sorry but I think that's about all I can handle for now..." Ava choked out._

"_We understand, Ma'am. We'll be back tomorrow." Kent spoke up._

"_One more thing?"_

"_Yes?" _

"Do you think he died from the head injury or something else?"

"_No, Ma'am, we believe he drowned," Kent said softly._

_Ava silently nodded then turned to go back into the house as the officers left._

_She opened the door to find Johnny, Susannah and Nikki standing there with extremely worried looks on their faces. Ava couldn't take it, a feeling of despair took over her and she fell to her knees crying._

"_Ava! What's wrong, what is it, Honey!?" Susannah asked gently, coming over and kneeling down beside her._

_Johnny came and stood by them and wrapped his arms around Nikki who was shaking, she had heard Ava crying and knew that they were looking for Bradin so she was very scared at the moment. And it just wasn't like Bradin to break a promise like the one he'd made to Derrick earlier that day... She was scared he'd gotten hurt and now seeing Ava like this she started shaking as the same feeling she'd had when her parents died **vaguely** came over her. She backed into Johnny as he held onto her and waited with baited breath for her aunt to say what was wrong._

"_Ava, Hon... you gotta tell us what's wrong..." Susannah gently prodded._

"_Bradin- he..." Ava choked on her tears as she tried to speak clearly, "he- h- he's..." She cried harder and had to have Susannah calm her down for a full 5 minutes before she could even try to continue._

"_Now, tell us what happened. What's wrong with Bradin?" Susannah said gently, stroking hair out of Ava's face and eyes._

"_Oh Susannah! Oh, Johnny... I- I can't believe it's true..." Ava cried harder then suddenly pulled herself together and quickly choked out, "H- he- he's... dead."_

_The silence that followed this announcement is unable to be put into words. It was broken finally by Nikki falling to her knees and crying. That feeling that was so vague only a minute ago had now completely taken over her and she couldn't handle it._

_Johnny kneeled down and held her and Susannah hugged both Ava and Nikki saying softly, "Oh, no, no, no, no..." _

_Jay walked into the room and realized they must have just found out Bradin was dead. He played dumb and said, "W- what happened?"_

_Johnny looked up at him with solemn eyes and couldn't find the words to say it. Susannah was too busy trying to calm Ava down to answer and Ava, of course, was crying too hard._

"_My brother's **dead**!!" Nikki suddenly screamed and so loudly and angrily that Jay jumped back nearly two feet. "Why, why, why!!??" tears streamed down Nikki's face freely as she continued. "Why did he have to die!!? What the hell did **I** do to have my parents, **both** of them, taken away and now my big brother!!?" Nikki's voice was becoming hoarse as she screamed more and more, "He meant the world to me," she cried harder, "Oh, and I know I never told him that but he meant the **world** to me!! He understood me..." she cried even harder, "Even though we fought a lot I loved him so much! So damn much!! Why does he have to be dead!? Why, why!!??" she cried and screamed extremely loudly and angrily and then jumped up and ran up the stairs two at a time, tripped, fell a little ways, jumped up again and raced to her room slamming the door shut so hard that the house shook slightly._

"_Oh my God..." Jay turned quickly and high tailed it to his room._

"_What's going on!? Why is Nikki scream-" Derrick came in the house and stopped dead in his tracks seeing his Aunt on her knees crying. "A- Aunt Ava... w- what happened?"_

"_Oh, Sweetie... n- nothing..." Ava stood up and dried her eyes breathing heavily and turned to face her youngest nephew, "Actually, Derrick... something did happen..."_

"_What?" Derrick looked up at Ava who didn't answer, "What!?" He looked from Ava to Johnny to Susannah to Ava with huge worried eyes and finally screamed, "WHAT!? WHAT IS IT!??"_

"_Your-" Ava couldn't finish._

"_Derrick, your brother is... well, Sweetie he's..." Susannah stopped as well._

"_Derrick, buddy... your brother's gone to heaven with your parents... he's not coming home anymore, bud..." Johnny said softly to Derrick who looked up at him puzzled._

"_Why would Bradin want to go away? What did I do? Did I make him mad-"_

"_Bud, you didn't do anything! You listen to me, man, Bradin isn't ever coming home because of anything you did or anything Nikki or one of us did! He's just gone on to heaven and you'll see him again one day when you go there, okay? I don't want you to **ever** think that Bradin's gone because of something you did, ever."_

"_Why can't I go see him now? Why?" Derrick was starting to cry, "Wait! When Mommy and Daddy died you said I couldn't go see them because it wasn't right for kids to go to heaven, right?"_

"_Well..."_

"_Then why did Bradin have to go there!? Isn't he still a kid, Johnny? Isn't he?" Derrick was crying now._

"_Derrick... Bradin had to go because he..." Johnny looked to Ava and Susannah for a little help and Susannah took up his sentence._

"_Derrick, Sweetie... Bradin's gone to heaven because he was specially needed there..."_

"_But wasn't he needed here too?"_

"_Well, yes, he was... but he was needed in heaven more, Sweetie, but it's gonna be okay, Sweetheart." Susannah said gently and pulled Derrick into a tight hug, "It's gonna be okay," she repeated.

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Well, there it is!! I cannot wait to hear what y'all thought so review!!_

_Anna Christie_ AKA _SecondStarToTheRight15_


	4. Funeral and a Tragic Christmas Surprise

**I do not own Summerland.**

I would like thank all of my wonderful and faithful reviewers!!

**kbg17223:** No, I'm afraid it'not possible, so, so sorry! I cried writing it! Thanks so much for the review!

**froggy2045: **Yes, I had tears when I wrote it! Thank you for your review!

**Chris Grace:** Lol!! Too lazy to log in eh? Now _that's _just sad! lol!! Anyway, thanks so much for the review!! And yes, cops are supposed to be smart but if you'll think about it, it's dark and they've only looked at the body breifly before they came to Ava's so no... they didn't know.

**matt:** Thank you so much! I'm glad it's not something you've seen before!

Now, I just want to apologize here because I realize some of you are probably expecting it to be longer but recall, I said it was only 6 chapters when I first started it and that still holds true. So sorry if your expecting a longer story...

Anyway, here's 4!!  
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**4.**

_**A Funeral and a Tragic Christmas "Surprise"**_

"_We are gathered here today to pay our respects to Bradin Matthew Westerly: a loving brother and nephew and a dear friend to many..." _

_Nikki felt tears forming in her eyes, she had kept them in all day right up to this very moment when it really, **really** sunk in that Bradin was dead. A feeling of dread washed over her as she remembered her parents' funeral and what dealing with life had been like after their death... she broke down and cried out loud making Susannah come over and hold her and Derrick together while Johnny held Ava and Jay stood in the very back of the church._

_The funeral procession moved outdoors to the grave yard to bury the casket, Bradin's family walked outside and was greeted by a gust of hot wind and blinding sunlight. _

_Nikki wished she was at someone else's funeral and that Bradin were by her side to hold her... Tears fell down her cheeks but she held her head high knowing Bradin wouldn't want her to be so sad._

_Derrick felt tears coming to his eyes but he tried not to cry, Bradin had always told him he was a man and he wanted to live up to that... But, then again, Bradin had also said that he should never be ashamed of crying when something really sad was happening... He let the tears fall but walked with an air of strength about him._

_Ava walked with the kids and Susannah by her side and tried hard not to cry anymore... at least not on te walk to the burial site... She knew if Bradin were there he would hold her and tell her not to cry... She couldn't help it... the thought of Bradin made tears fall down her face._

_Johnny kept a grim look plasterd on his face as he walked with Ava, Susannah, Nikki and Derrick to where Bradin's casket was going to be buried. He didn't cry and he didn't frown but he most certainly didn't smile and the thought of not having Bradin around anymore killed him inside... He walked close to Ava and put his arm around her shoulder to comfort her. She leaned into him and they continued walking._

_Susannah walked with each of the kids tucked under one arm and a sad look on her face. She just couldn't believe that Bradin was actually gone... that he wouldn't come breezing in the house and then run back out without a word to anyone and yet, you would know he was happy, anymore... That he wouldn't, rarely, come to her for advice about something or that she wouldn't have to tell him to stop tracking mud into the house after it had rained anymore. She thought about one time when she had been really upset and how Bradin had come and sit with her on the porch and gave her a hug telling her it was gonna be okay... That memory was too much, tears streamed down her face as she silently walked on._

_Jay couldn't believe he was dead and what's more that **he** had killed him! He suddenly started remembering things that Bradin used to do... tears came to his eyes but somehow he couldn't let them fall thinking about the fact that **he** had killed Bradin. He followed behind Ava and the rest just a little too far for any of them to say anything to him. There was a look a pure regret on his face._

_Nikki stood next to Derrick with her arm around his shoulder as the minister performed the rest of the funeral. She looked around and saw many familiar faces but no familiar looks... she had **never** seen these people look so sad. _

_Cameron was there, he looked genuinely sad that Bradin was dead he always had liked him... yeah, he was really gonna miss him._

_Erica had come, she felt a certain degree of guilt for having been so harsh with him at times and never telling him she didn't mean it She figured this was, of course, her last chance to make it up to him... Besides, who was she gonna call Kansas now?_

_Among the rest of the guests were people who had taken a liking to Bradin and a few who had been mean to him and were guilty about it._

_Bradin's friends, Josh, Justin, Mark, Becky, Samantha and his self proclaimed "enemies", Luke, Frank and Laura were there. Three of his teachers were there as well, Miss Martin, his English and Science teacher, Miss Bell, his Math teacher, and Mr. Carter, his PE and History teacher._

_Derrick's friend Martha, and her mother, had come and two of Nikki's friends, Leslie and Jasmine, too._

_There were other people. Her dad's brother, Ted, and his wife, Grace... some cousins, Amy, Joey, Jessica and Tommy. And some more of the Westerly family who Nikki barely knew and finally, Nikki's eyes fell on someone she had seen Bradin a few times... what was her name? Oh yeah, Lindsay. She looked incredibly sad... as though her best friend in the world had just died... Nikki didn't know she and Bradin were that close..._

"_Nikki isn't it?" Lindsay said coming up to Nikki after the funeral while everyone was standing around talking and crying and comforting each other._

"_Yeah, that's me," Nikki tried to smile but couldn't, "Bradin's friend, Lindsay, right?"_

"_Mm-mm... I'm really sorry Nikki... I just wanted to tell you that... I was with him the day he-" Lindsay pulled out a tissue from her pocket and dabbed her eyes, "he died and I just remember how happy he was and how comforting he was to me when I hurt my foot... and I just... I just wanted to tell you what a wonderful, **wonderful** person he was..." By this time tears were rolling down both girls cheeks and they found themselves in a comforting embrace as Nikki said, "Thank you... were you and he... um..."_

"_Yeah... kinda..." Lindsay pulled away and suddenly laughed, not a happy laugh, but rather a, doesn't-this-just-fucking-figure, laugh, "he asked me to be his girlfriend **that** day... While we were at the beach right after he unexpectedly kissed me and we both confessed our feeling for each other... Oh, Nikki, I miss him so much! And I can't even begin to imagine how **you** feel!! I'm so sorry..." Lindsay and Nikki hugged some more while they both cried until they finally pulled apart and Cameron walked up._

"_Hey, Nik... Am I interrupting something here?" He asked softly._

"_Not really... oh Cam!" Nikki threw herself into his arms and he held her tightly. Lindsay stood aside and cried quietly._

_After more people making condolences to Bradin's family and Nikki and Lindsay promising to see each other again, Ava, Johnny, Susannah, Nikki, Cameron, Derrick and Martha left to go back to their house, Ava was letting Cameron and Martha stay over to make Nikki and Derrick feel better, she figured no one was going to be sleeping tonight anyway so having Nikki and Cameron together was okay..._

Ava remembered that day and the _many _sad days that followed as she sat on the beach with the sun beating down on her and the waves crashing to the shore. It was now straight up noon and Ava decided she better go back home for whatever Christmas they were going to have...

"Hey, Susannah... have Nikki or Derrick come down today?" Ava asked coming into the kitchen to find her friend pulling a turkey out of the oven.

Susannah look up after she set the turkey down and shook her head, 'no.'

"I see..." Ava began setting the table seeing that the food was all but ready, "Where're Johnny and Jay?"

"Johnny's out looking for something in his car and Jay's spending the day with Erica, ow!" Susannah exclaimed the last word.

"Oh! Here, run it under some cold water," Ava soothed her friend who had just burned her hand on a hot pan of dressing, "I better put that in a different container!"

"Just be careful, that's what I was doing and look!" Susannah lightly laughed looking at her swelling hand.

"Okay, I will," Ava smiled. She couldn't laugh... she hadn't laughed _once_ since Bradin died about a month ago.

"I found it finally!" Johnny exclaimed coming into the kitchen.

"That's good... what was _it_ anyway?" Susannah asked still running her hand under the cold tap.

"My watch..." Johnny suddenly seemed distant.

"Which one?" Susannah was now drying her hand on a kitchen towel.

"The one Bradin gave me..."

"Oh..." Susannah said looking at Johnny and feeling tears come to her eyes at the remembrance of Bradin.

Johnny looked away and the room went dead silent for a full minute broken only by the microwave beeping to say that it was done.

Ava attended to it and Susannah asked if Johnny would round up Nikki and Derrick.

Johnny quickly shot off desperate to get away from the awkward silence and Susannah and Ava embraced in a hug.

"I can't start crying now, Susannah... I just _can't_!" She sobbed into Susannah's shoulder.

"I know, girl... I know..." Susannah comforted her friend then pulled away saying quietly, "Hush now, I hear Derrick coming!"

Ava nodded silently and turned to the sink dabbing her eyes with the dish cloth she was holding so Derrick wouldn't know she had been crying.

"Mm... what smells so good, Aunt Ava?" Derrick asked, a tiny smile slowly spreading across his face.

"Actually, I have no idea! Susannah made everything!" Ava said turning to face her nephew.

"Oh... well than what smells so good, _Susannah_?" Derrick said turning to Susannah.

"Well to tell you the truth, I'm not sure _what_ you're smelling! I just hope whatever it is it _tastes_ as good as it smells!" Susannah laughed making Derrick smile a full smile not just a tiny one.

"Shall we find out?" Johnny said joining the conversation as he and Nikki walked into the kitchen. It was evident that Nikki had been crying but no one acknowledged this, for which, Nikki was thankful.

"Let's," Ava agreed with a smile. Johnny had been such a comfort through this whole thing...

They sat around the kitchen table, held hands and said grace: _Dear, Lord, we thank You for this food for which we are about to eat and we ask that You bless it in Your Holy name, Amen._

After a generally quiet meal they got up and everyone helped to clear the table, wash the dishes, tidy the kitchen and put away the leftovers then they all went into the living room to open gifts.

"Oh Aunt Ava, thank you!" Nikki hugged her aunt for the gift of the outfit she had made her, "I'm so glad you made it and didn't buy it! It means so much more!"

"You're welcome, Nikki! And I thought it would, but you better thank Susannah too, she really helped me out on that one!" Ava smiled.

"Thank you, Susannah!" Nikki said giving Susannah a hug now.

"You're welcome, Sweetie," Susannah replied.

"Cool!" Derrick exclaimed as he opened his new skateboard, "Thanks Aunt Ava!"

There were more such exclamations and 'thank yous' as the rest of the presents were opened. Johnny's gift to Ava surprised everyone, for he asked her out on a date which she accepted with a kiss on his cheek and a whisper in his ear saying, "Johnny, I owe that to you even if I didn't want to go... but I _do_ want to!"

"Awe!" Susannah and Nikki cooed together and Derrick just smiled.

The rest of the day was spent using all the new things everyone got and then at the end of the day the little "family" took out a special time to open Bradin's gifts and give them to Nikki and Derrick as a keepsake of their dear brother as that is what they had decided to do.

When they were all through and a good many tears had been shed and memories exchanged Nikki took her stuff and the stuff of Bradin's that she was keeping up to her room and put it all away while Derrick did the same.

It was about midnight and the phone rang, Nikki answered it, "Erica? Yeah, she is.. okay, are you alright? Okay, hold on!" She went and got Ava then went back up to her room.

About 2:00am Nikki went into Derrick's room to check on him, as she had been finding herself doing _every_ night since Bradin died, and found him laying on Bradin's bed crying. She went over to her little brother and held him until he fell asleep.

Nikki lay there staring at the ceiling... the bed still smelled like Bradin, Nikki almost felt him there with them... her eyes fell shut and the next thing she knew morning sunlight was streaming in through the window and she heard the sound of a girl crying softly crying from somewhere downstairs. Nikki couldn't tell who it was so she jumped up, careful not to wake Derrick, slipped out of the bedroom and quietly down the stairs into the living room. She found Erica lying on the couch, she was crying, and Ava sitting next to her. She sat down on the floor by the couch and took Erica's hand as Ava began explaining that Jay had killed himself.

----------

"Erica, I just wanted you to know that I love you... or I at least thought I did..." Jay said lowly to his date who sat across from him at the table in the restaurant they were dining at. It was Christmas evening and Jay had spent all morning writing a long note, then he left in on his nightstand and left his house to go on his date with Erica.

"What do you mean, Babe?" Erica asked a little puzzled.

"I mean I thought I was _capable_ of loving somebody but now I see that's not true..."

"What are you talking about, Jay? Are you breaking up with me!?" Erica said, her voice rising with anger. A few people looked over at their table and Jay said, "Shh! No. No, I'm not breaking up with you I just won't be able to go out with you anymore so you might as well leave me."

"Jay, you're scaring me!" Erica said quietly, "What's up with you?"

"I- Let's go for a walk on the beach please..." Jay said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Okay..."

Jay paid the bill and they left the restaurant. After walking along the beach in silence for about 10 minutes Erica spoke up, "So... uh, what's up with you?"

Jay stopped walking and stood in her path making her stop, "Right here!" he exclaimed.

They were standing at Spanish Cove, right where Jay had killed Bradin.

"Right here, what?" Erica was starting to actually get scared of Jay, he was beginning to sound like a maniac.

"This is where it happened! This is where I killed him!" Jay's eyes blazed with anger, "How could I do that to them!? They _just_ lost their parents!"

"Jay... what do you mean-" Erica suddenly screamed but Jay threw his hand over her mouth.

"Shh! Hush! Listen, you listen to me!" Jay removed his hand, "I _killed_ Bradin Westerly, that's right, _me_! _I_ killed him! Right here! Over something completely and utterly untrue! How could I do that!"

Erica moved away from him, her eyes wide in terror, "Jay... calm down, Baby... It's- it's gonna be okay... We're gonna get you help just- just calm down..."

"No! I don't need help! There isn't any help for me! I killed him! I killed an innocent 16 year old boy over something I should have _known_ wasn't true! He didn't know what he was doing... he wasn't even doing anything now that I think about it! _I_ was the one who wanted to sleep with you! He only cared about you and that you didn't get hurt! He _really was_ trying to help you!! _I'm_ the stupid son of a bitch who tried to hurt you!" Jay screamed in rage.

"Ahhh!" Erica screamed in shear horror and ran as fast as she could away from him. She heard him running after her and yelling, "I'm so sorry, Erica! I'm _so_ sorry!" She ran faster but tripped and fell in the sand of the beach.

She tried to get up but her ankle hurt badly, Jay was coming up on her fast. It was midnight on Christmas night, how could she get help!? Her mind raced but Jay was soon at her side, he was breathing heavily from chasing her. "Get away from me!" she screamed.

"Erica, listen to me!" He knelt beside her and she crawled away from him trying desperately to get back up. "Stop!" he commanded but she didn't. "Erica, I just want to say goodbye to you! I'm gonna kill myself!"

That stopped her, "What!? Jay, no, you're just... you're just not feeling well... please... we'll get you help!"

"I told you! There is no help for me!" Jay screamed at her and hit her across the face.

"Ahhh!" Erica screamed at the top of her lounges as Jay started hitting her, "Help me! Help, help! Somebody help me! Jay, stop it! Leave me alone! HELP!!" To Erica's great relief a police officer came running up, Erica instantly recognized him as Officer Jonathan Kent, one of the officers that had been around the Gregory house so much lately. "Help me, Jonathan, help!" She screamed to him

"Get away from her now!" Jonathan yelled at Jay who jumped back and with a fearful look took off running back towards Spanish Cove.

"Are you okay, Ma'am- Wait a minute, Erica isn't it? A smile spread across Jonathan's face but faded with what Erica said next.

"Yes, and that was Jay, Jay Robertson! He lives at the Gregory house! The one where Bradin Westerly lived you know it, don't you, Jonathan?" she said desperately.

He nodded his head.

"Well, Jay's my boyfriend and I've never seen him act like this! He- he-" Erica started shaking, "He said he was gonna kill himself, oh please, please don't let him! I'll be okay, just go after him, please!"

Jonathan was already pulling out his walkie-talkie and talking to headquarters, "That's right, Jay Robertson, he's headed toward Spanish Cove. Uh huh... okay, out!" He clicked it off and reached down to help Erica up, "Can you stand?"

Erica shook her head no, "But if you'll call Ava Gregory for me she'll come get me I'm sure," she added, "I don't need a doctor just a friend..."

"Alright," Jonathan got out his cell phone and handed it to Erica, "Here you go, call her. Can you tell me what happened though?"

"Yes," Erica started dialing Ava's house, "Jay took me to dinner and about an hour ago he started acting really funny and then he asked me to go for a walk with him and I agreed- 'Hello? Nikki? Hey. Is Ava there? Put her on, please... yeah I'm alright... okay.' And then when we walked down here he led me down to Spanish Cove and stopped there and said 'Right here!' I had no clue what he meant and then he but then he started screaming that he had killed- 'Ava? Hey, I really hate to ask you this but could you or Johnny come down here and get me? I'm on the beach a little ways from Spanish Cove... yeah... no, I'm alright... my ankle's twisted I think or close to it anyway... I _was_ with Jay but he- he's acting really... well he beat me. I know, I know... please just come get me, thank you so much. I owe you! Okay I'll see you in a minute, thanks, Ava!" Erica hung up the phone and handed it back to Jonathan, "Here you go, thanks. So anyway he started screaming and yelling and saying that _he_ was the one who had tried to hurt me not Bradin-"

"Same Bradin who was murdered?" Jonathan interrupted her.

"Yeah."

"Continue."

"And that 'how could he do that to those kids!' I still didn't know what he was talking about but then it hit me what he must be meaning and I screamed and tried to run off but he stopped me and said, 'That's right I killed him! I killed Bradin Westerly' or something close to that and I- I just I ran off until I fell down here and he came up to me and said he just wanted to say goodbye because he was gonna kill himself for doing that' and when I told him not to that we could get help for him he just went crazy and started hitting me... that's when you came up."

"Thank you. I'll have to get with you tomorrow to get a further statement and see about what to do if you want to press charges for assault and I'll need to know everything he said about having killed Bradin, okay? Are you going to be willing to cooperate?"

"Yeah, sure... anything to help figure out what happened to Bradin... but I just can't believe _Jay_ would do something like that!

Ava came running up at that moment, Johnny with her and the three of them helped Erica to their car. They talked with the officer for a few minutes more.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow, Erica." Jonathan said just as his radio beeped, "Kent." He said into it, "uh huh... I see... oh God... Alright, I'll be down there in about five, out!" He clicked it off and looked at Erica sitting in the car, "I'm sorry Miss Spalding..."

"What? Did they find Jay?" Erica was starting to get worried.

"They- they found Jay but.. It seems we were too late, he's already killed himself."

"No!" Erica exclaimed in a gasp as tears came to her eyes and fell down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry." Jonathan hung his head.

---------

"Why would he do that to himself, Ava?" Erica was lying on a couch in the living room of the Gregory house, Johnny was bringing her a cup of coffee, Susannah was making her a cold turkey sandwich and Ava was sitting next to her holding her hand.

"I don't know, Erica, I don't know..."

Erica hadn't told anyone besides Officer Kent about Jay having said he'd killed Bradin but she decided she'd better do that now.

"Ava... there's something I haven't told you yet... something Jay told me... A little while before he k- killed himself..." Erica let more tears fall from her eyes knowing what she was about to say was going to break Ava's heart.

"What is it?" Ava asked gently.

"Jay... he told me that... that he- he- h... he killed Bradin." Erica's voice fell to a whisper with the last three words she said.

Ava didn't speak, Susannah walked into the living room with four turkey sandwiches and Johnny followed with four cups of coffee, "Here you go..." Susannah stopped short upon seeing Erica crying and Ava looking like she'd just seen a ghost, "Erica." She finished.

"What happened?" Johnny asked setting the tray with the coffee cups on it on the coffee table in front of the couch where Erica was laying.

"Jay told Erica that he killed Bradin right before he killed himself." Ava said staring straight ahead at nothing.

"Oh God..." Susannah gasped, "Erica, was he- do you- that is... I mean,. Do you think he _really_ did!?"

Erica silently nodded, "Yeah... and for the life of me I can't figure out why he would actually _kill_ someone... especially a 16 year old boy who never did anything to h- Oh God, he went out with me! Oh my God, _that's_ what Jay meant! Oh my God, oh my God! Oh my God, no! No!" Erica broke down and started crying hysterically... "No..." she groaned... "Why, Jay," she whispered, "why?"

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And now it's time for... the review crew!! (Yeah, I totally gotta work on that... lol!)

_Anna Christie_ AKA _SecondStarToTheRight15_


	5. The Truth Made Known

**I do not own Summerland.**

Hi again! Only two reviews on this chapter... oh well... I thought more of y'all were reading it! Anyway, here go the special thanks shoutouts!

**miszmccartneyx3: **Hey, I'm so excited to see you on here!! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing this!! Awesome! I'm so glad you love it and of course I was right! ;-) Jk, but seriously glad you like it!! Hope I don't dissapoint with the ending! Only 2 chapters to go!

**Chris Grace: **Ah, I see you logged in this time! ;-) Awe, just for saying please you get one! He, he... I know, cried writing it! Killing Bradin was SO hard for me to do considering I love Jesse so it was kinda like killing him!!! Eek! lol! Anyway, thanks so much for the review!!

**Ok, I have just one more thing to say.**

**froggy2045 **& **kbg17223: **I know y'all were reading my other story _A Living Hell_ but then I changed the name to _On The Edge Of Sanity_ and nobody has read it since!! (Er, reviewed anyway) So I was just wondering if you two were still reading it? You were the only ones I knew of who were reading both. Let me know please, I don't need to continue that one if it's not getting reviewed. Thank you.

Ok, sorry 'bout me rambling on... **READ!!!**

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**5.**

_**The Truth Made Known**_

"Oh my God! You guys come here, look at this!" Susannah yelled to Ava and Johnny. They were all in Jay's room, it had been 3 weeks since he killed himself. They'd been at his funeral only hours before and were now trying to clean up his room and figure out what to do with everything. Erica was staying with them until everything got cleared up and she was out on the beach with Nikki, Derrick, Cameron and Martha to get their, herself included, minds off of all the sadness that was happening.

"What is it?" Ava and Johnny exclaimed coming over to her.

"Here," she handed Ava the envelope she was holding.

"Jay wrote this?" Ava said, more as a statement than a question.

"Apparently..."

"Well open it!" Johnny spoke suddenly.

"No, we better not open it until everyone that it says it's to is present, don't you think?" Ava asked.

"Maybe so... well let's gather everyone up!" Johnny said.

"No, let's just wait for the kids to come back that way we won't have to interuppt them... you know how all this is already upsetting Derrick..." Ava said.

"You're right, well let's get back to what we were doing I guess." Johnny agreed.

"Right." Susannah agreed with Ava and Johnny.

Four hours later, Ava, Johnny, Susannah, Nikki, Derrick, Erica and officers Jonathan Kent and Marcus Burt were seated in the Gregory living room to read the note Jay had addressed to them.

On the outside of the envelope it said:

**Ava, Nikki, Derrick, Johnny, Susannah,  
****Erica and whoever is assigned to Bradin's case,  
****this should clear everything up.**

Ava opened it but then handed it to Johnny afraid her voice would betray her emotions if she tried to read it, Johnny was better at controlling himself.

Johnny took the envelope and pulled out a 7 neatly folded pieces of paper held together by a paperclip. He unfolded them and began to read the first one, aloud;

_"Ava,_

_I cannot began to express my regrets for what I have done to you and your family. I want only for you to know that I really had no intentions of doing what I did until the very moment I found myself doing it... I meant only to beat him for trying to take away my girl, which I realize now, was just as stupid of a thing to do. He was only 16 years old, an innocent young life taken away from his family and those who loved and cared for him by a man who lost his mind in a moment of anger._

_I believed, for that moment, that he had cruel intentions towards Erica, but how could I believe that he really had cruel intentions? I have no idea how I could believe that. I know only that I am sorry for believing it and letting it make me crazy._

_I wish that it could have been Bradin who killed me instead. Not for him to have killed me and gotten in trouble for it, but for him to have killed me in self defense and because I deserved to die, not him. If I could take back what I did, I would, but I can't._

_I can't and I am sorry for that. May I get what I deserve in my 'afterlife.'_

_If you want anything to do with me or my memory after I killed your nephew I don't know but you may do whatever you please with what I leave to you._

_My mother's silver necklace is yours as a token of how you treated me. Thank you for that. Also, I leave you a small puzzle, if you figure it out you'll find a special treasure which you can do whatever you want with. Here are the instructions on where to find it: Go down to Spanish Cove, when you get there, go into the smallest cave, you should have to crawl, and about seven feet into the cave dig down four feet and you'll find a blue 'firebox.' In it is a note and a 'treasure.' Now, for fear that you won't even seek the box out because it belonged to me, I have to tell you this: the box was mine, the note and the 'treasure' were Bradin's._

_Goodbye now,_

_Jay Robertson"_

Nothing was said as Johnny turned to the next note and skimmed over it before reading it aloud.

_"Nikki,_

_Had I known just how much your brother meant to you I would have killed myself as soon as I realized I'd killed him! That very second! But I didn't, so the only condolence I can offer you is that I am killing myself now and that you'll never have to look at the face who killed your brother again._

_I leave you, if you want it, a small token of what you meant to me and how happy you made me feel to be around. You are an uplifting soul, Nikki, and you're headstrong, girl! Use these qualities wisely and you'll go far in life, very far indeed! But as I was saying, I leave you my only sister's (late) gold necklace with a heart locket. Inside is a picture of you and one of Erica. The two most precious young ladies I have ever met. (And symbolizing your friendship, which is strong. Keep it that way!)_

_I know you must hate me, but I believe I truly lost my sanity during the time I killed your brother because the instant I realized he was dead I felt a sadness no words can describe. I am sorry, but I know that will never be enough._

_Goodbye now,  
Jay Robertson"_

Again, nothing was said as the rest of the notes, all similar to the ones just read, beginning with "So and so" and ending with "Goodbye now, Jay Robertson," were read in order. Finally Johnny came to the one addressed to the police.

_"Whoever is working on the case of Bradin Westerly's death._

_First of all, it was a murder. I, Jay Robertson, killed Bradin Westerly in cold blood at Spanish Cove between the hours of 2:00pm and 3:00pm on November the 20th, 2006. I slammed his head into a rock about 3 or 4 times and then I held him down in the shallow water until he gradually stopped moving drowned. I killed him, yes, that's right. I had no real reason except that I thought he was trying to sleep with my girlfriend, Erica Spalding, but have realized that was not true, not true at all. He was only trying to help her because he cared about her and I didn't see that until it was too late._

_I am killing myself because of the guilt I feel from having killed an innocent 16 year old boy. I hope that I have cleared up the mystery of what happened to Bradin Westerly. I drowned him then pushed the body out into the water enough that the tide carried it away but then back to the shore later. I also threw his surfboard in the water and left his bag on the beach to make it look like an innocent surfing accident..._

_I believe that clears everything up so I will go now,_

_Jay Robertson"_

The police asked to see the note and Johnny handed it to them.

"Well, I guess that's that..." Kent stated, "this should close the case."

"Yeah, I guess it will." Brut agreed, "Thank you for all your help, Miss Gregory, we will be getting in touch with you soon."

Ava nodded as one tear silently escaped her eye...

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There it is!! The next chapter will be the last... I'm sad that it's almost over but I still wanna know what y'all think!! So review!! Thank you so much, you really don't know how much it means to me:-)

_Anna Christie _AKA _SecondStarToTheRight15_


	6. He's Gone He Really Is

**I do not own Summerland.**

Hey y'all! Oh God, I can't believe I made y'all wait this long for the next chapter!! But see, I wrote up the last chapter and thought it was all finished and then Krissy reviewed saying she wanted to see what was in the box!Well, turns out I hadn't written that in! Whoops! Yes, I know, idiot!! Anyway, so I had to write that in and it wound up being a whole other chapter! So y'all get two more chapters instead of just one! Hope y'all still wanna read after I made you wait so long!! I am so sorry about that, I really am. I promise I won't do it again:-)

Now, to thank all of my _wonderful_ reviewers! Y'all are AWESOME!!

**jesse-summerlandgirl: **Yes, I killed him off. Almost hurt myself over that too! lol! But anyway, so glad you like it!! Ah! So you like drama, eh? Check out my story _On The Edge Of Sanity_ it's packed full of drama. (Maybe you've already seen that story but I just thought I'd mention it to you.) Anywho, thank you so much for the review I hope you enjoy that last two chapters.

**Chris Grace: **Hey! Thank you so much for your great review!! I've gotten so used to seeing you in my reviews.. what am I gonna do when this storie's over? Well, still two chapters to go, so I'll worry about that later! Yes, he does need to live, but you're wrong, he doesn't need to live with _you, _he needs to live with _ME_! ;) Forever!! la, la la!! Uh oh, I'm daydreaming again...

**froggy2045: **Hey there! glad to see you reviewing again!! Thanks so much for it too!!! I hope I don't disapoint you with the ending...

**chelsea: **lol! It's seems I got a lot of "Oh my gods" out of y'all with this one! lol! you're the 3rd! Anyway, thank you so much for your great review! I'm so used to seeing you review here! I'll miss you when this story's over... I'm so glad it's that original!! That's what I was aiming for after all!! I'm sorry I made you cry... but don't worry, I cried writing it! lol! That's just sad isn't it? Ha, ha!

**Kawahara Hikori: **Thank you so much for the review!! I'm alright, how're you? Oh that's okay, I'm glad you're reviewing now!! And I've done that too. Yes, depressing... well, sorry 'bout that but hey, it's a story so... Nah, no one else gets killed. Anyway, thanks so much and I CAN'T WAIT for more of your story!! It's awesome!****

**Krissy: **Awe, I'm sorry I made you cry... but you know... And I cried writing it so don't worry! Thanks for the review of course and I hope you're ready to see what's in the box cause here's the chapter about it! P.S. You were the one who made me write that in you know that!? lol! see you next chapter:-)

Wow! Who knew I could talk so much!! Well, I'll shut up now and let y'all read! Enjoy!!**

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6.

_**He's Gone... He Really Is**_

The next day Ava, Johnny, Susannah, Nikki, Derrick, Cameron, Martha, Erica and Lindsay set out to Spanish Cove to uncover whatever the secret treasure in the box Jay had left Ava was.

They arrived at the cave Jay had indicated and as he had predicted, they had to crawl in to get it.

"Uh... there's no way I'm going to crawl in there, Johnny... it looks well..." Ava said not wanting to go into the dark "cave."

"I can go if you want," Johnny offered with a smile.

"I'd like that," Ava said planting a quick kiss on Johnny's lips.

"Alright!" Johnny took the small garden shovel from Ava's hand and crawled into the cave. He got to the spot Jay had said the box would be at and began to dig. Not too long later his shovel hit something metal. With a small smile Johnny uncovered and lifted out a blue firebox just as Jay had promised would be there. He recovered his hole and crawled back out of the cave. Emerging from the cave his eyes stung slightly from the suddenness of the sunlight. He smiled at all the familiar faces standing before him and held the box up.

What had her brother put in the box? Why had he done it? When? Those questions swept through Nikki's mind as Johnny emerged from the cave and revealed a small blue metal box. _Guess I'm about to find out!_ She thought, almost nervously.

She was so glad that Bradin's family had invited her to come and see what, of Bradin's, was in Jay's box.

Johnny came out of the cave, held up a small blue box with a smile and then solemnly handed it to Ava. With baited breath, Lindsay moved in closer to the circle of Bradin's "family" to see what was in the box.

Maybe Bradin had left something just for him in the box! Maybe it was some way to go be with him! Maybe Bradin wasn't really dead... maybe he was... Derrick knew none of that was true but he couldn't help but dream about being able to see his brother.. just _once_ more... Johnny handed the box to Ava and she smiled taking it with shaking hands.

What could it possibly be? It seemed like whenever someone said there was something special somewhere your mind began to imagine a million different things it could be... Maybe the note was something he'd written to his brother and sister? How had Jay known about it anyway? Erica's mind raced as Ava took the box from Johnny with trembling hands and sat down in the sand to open it.

_Bradin was a really good guy... He wasn't supposed to die this young... and Nikki's been so different since it happened... And **just **when she was moving on from her parents' death! Wonder what's in there? _Cameron thought going over to Nikki and putting his arm around her trembling shoulders as Ava began to unlock the small blue box.

_Poor Derrick... _Martha came over and placed a soft kiss on Derrick's cheek as Ava clicked the lock and it fell from the box. Derrick looked up at her and then they both sat down in the sand, side by side.

All Susannah could do was to sit and wait to see what was in the box, she knew her best friend was really having a hard time doing this... She came over and sat on one side of Ava as Johnny sat on the other and all the kids sat down around them. Cam and Nikki, Derrick and Martha and Erica and Lindsay, all comforting each other at this hard time in their lives.

_Wonder what it is... Poor Ava... God, I wish I could somehow make her feel better!_ Johnny felt hurt that he couldn't help Ava feel any better when she was hurting so bad... He sat down beside her as Susannah did the same.

Ava held her breath as she opened the lid of the small, blue firebox. Inside was a soft pale, light pink handkerchief with the name Karen embroidered into it in green and folded up neatly covering up something else. She looked up at the one face that was directly in front of hers and told her with her eyes to come closer.

Nikki saw Ava motion to her with her eyes and she moved in closer to her aunt and slowly removed the handkerchief from the box. Under it was a soft green handkerchief with the name Robert embroidered into it in pink. Nikki let tears fall from her eyes as she suddenly realized whose they had been. Her mother and father's... Ava recognized them as well for she hugged Nikki tightly and whispered in her ear, "Oh, I didn't even know these still existed!"

They had been given to the Westerly kids' parents on their wedding day many years ago. They were paler than they once had been but the memories and what they stood for were still very vivid indeed! "I didn't either..." Nikki whispered back... she had only been told the story by her grandmother one time when she was about 10 but had never seen them or talked to her mother about them... The story was that the two handkerchief's had been carefully and lovingly sewed by Karen's grandmother and given to them on their wedding day. Karen's was pink because it was her favorite color, the same reason Bob's was green, and the names were embroidered in the color of the spouses handkerchief as a symbol of unbreakable love and their intertwined hearts. Karen had told her grandmother that it was the most precious gift she had ever received in her life and that she would always cherish it. Bob had said a similar thing and that he loved how she had embroidered their names in each other's favorite color.

"How on earth did Brae end up with them!?" Nikki asked her aunt.

"I have no idea," Ava admitted truthfully. She really didn't and she was just as curious as Nikki. "But maybe we'll find out," she added as the two again turned their attention to the box on Ava's lap.

Looking back into the box, Ava saw an envelope with _Nik, D. & Aunt Ava_ written across it in Bradin's sloppy handwriting. She looked up at Nikki and Nikki pulled it out of the box with a trembling hand. Ava put her hand on Nikki's trembling one and together they turned it over and slowly opened it holding their breaths.

Inside was a plain white piece of notebook paper covered in Bradin's handwriting. Nikki and Ava unfolded it and read it to themselves before they would read it aloud... Since it was addressed to Nikki she would decide if she wanted to read it to everyone or not.

_Nik,_

_Hey, you know how I always tease you and call you things and stuff right? Well I just wanted to make sure that you knew I did that cause I love you! I love you more than anything in this world, Nik, and don't you ever forget that, got it!? (Derrick and you both.)_

By this time tears were streaming down Nikki's cheeks as she read on.

_And another thing, you are such an inspiring young lady. I am really proud of the woman you've become just over the past year. I know Mom and Dad would be. I know they would. And I know you're worried about what they would think of you and of some of the things you've done but hey, I know they would be proud of you and I **know **they love you and always have and will no matter what you do. Everyone makes mistakes, Nik. So don't even **think** that what you did back there, you know what I'm talking about, was something worse than a mistake. God, Nik, I swear I've made way worse mistakes than that! If you knew some of the stuff I've done, well... But just remember, I'm proud of you and I LOVE you no matter what. I always will._

Nikki was crying out loud now and Ava was hugging her close as she read the last little part of the note.

_Now, if you're reading this, I'm sure you found Mom and Dad's handkerchiefs and I'm sure you're wondering how **I** got them, right? Well... I guess now's my last chance to tell you._

_Do you remember that time Mom found me in my room with Kaci? And you remember what we were doing and how she didn't even get mad and she didn't tell Dad? Remember that she just made Kaci leave and she took me for a walk? Ha, ha! I was so scared she was going to tell Dad what we were doing... Anyway, she took me walking and she told me a story: _

"_Bradin, you know I need to tell your father what you were doing back there don't you?"_

_I just hung my head in response._

"_I can't hear you, what?" Mom smiled._

"_Yes, Ma'am," I said, still hanging my head._

"_Well, Brae, I **need** to tell him but I think I should tell you a little story first, okay?"_

"_Okay," I agreed. I didn't want her to tell me any story! I was convinced that whatever the story was it was just gonna be a kind of "guilt trip" thing and that she was still gonna tell Dad. So what was the dang point of making me feel bad and **still** punishing me!?_

"_Bradin, when I was about 15, a year older than you are now, I experimented with the same thing you guys were back at the house. And my Mom found me. Now, do you know what she did to me?"_

"_No, Ma'am."_

"_Well, she told my father and I paid for it dearly. Then, I did it again, just **5** days after he ungrounded me!! Five days, Bradin! Do you know how stupid that was? And guess what? My mother found me **again**!" Mom admitted all this to me and I still didn't know where she was going with it._

"_Um... okay?" I still couldn't look at her; I really was ashamed of it._

"_I know, you don't get why I'm telling you this right? Well, she told my dad again and this time my father took me down to the lake and we skipped rocks while he talked to me about what doing that could do to you. About how bad it was for your health. About the effects it had on other people. About how it didn't just hurt you but it hurt others. How it hurt your reputation as well. Bradin, I never did it again. Never." Mom stopped walking and turned me to face her. Lifting my face she said, "Bradin Westerly, I love you. I am not going to punish you for what you were doing, I am only going to tell you what it does to you and I believe that you'll make the right choice after that."_

_Well, she told me alright! She told me a story about our uncle Henry, the one it prison. She told me how he started doing drugs when he was 16 and how he never stopped. And that's why he's in prison for killing someone. He was stoned the night he killed Marie, he didn't know what he was doing. He killed somebody without even realizing it because he was on drugs, Nik. He couldn't trust himself to make the right decisions and he certainly couldn't trust that he wouldn't hurt somebody! He just.. Well, he wasn't there anymore..._

_After she told me the story she didn't even ask me if I understood what she was trying to get across to me. She just took me back home and out into her garden in the back. She took me over to the fountain and under the water she opened a small compartment and pulled out a little silver firebox. In it were the two handkerchiefs and a music box. She got them out and handed them to me, "Bradin," she said, "these were your father's and my wedding gifts from my grandmother." She told me the whole story of them then said, "I want you to have them, I want you to know that I love you, Bradin, I love you." _

_I took the handkerchief, but I didn't want to, I felt like I didn't deserve enough to keep such a precious gift. I didn't think I deserved them, I thought they should've been given to you! But anyway, she gave 'em to me. _

_I'm writing this to give to you on your 15th birthday! But, if something happens to me before than and that's why you're reading this, than just know that I wrote every bit of this from my heart. Nikki, I love you. I told you the story about the drugs cause I didn't want you to make the same mistake I did and because Mom's not here to tell you the story... She wouldn't want you to do what I did, Pass the story on to D. for me if I'm not around alright? Thanks. And Nikki, thank you so much for being everything that you've been for me._

_Well, I guess that's really about it, although I could talk forever here... ha, ha! I should probably just shut up now though! Again, I love you, Nikki Westerly, I love you._

_Love,_

_Brae_

Nikki cried for a full 15 minutes after reading the note Bradin wrote to her. Ava sat there holding her with tears streaming down her own cheeks and everyone else just stared with sad eyes as the note had not been read aloud. Finally Nikki swallowed her tears and Ava pulled out the next note. It was to Derrick.

_Derrick,_

_Hey buddy, I'm sorry that I never let you know this before... I really should have, really. I want you to know now, though, I want you to know this and I want you to **never** doubt its truth. Got it? Good, here it is, D. I love you so much, more than you'll ever know. I am so proud of the young man you are, I really am. And Mom and Dad would be too. They really would be, buddy, don't ever think they wouldn't be or that I'm not. I am and you should know that._

Derrick, who Ava and Nikki had called over to read it with them, was trying desperately to hold back tears as the trio read on.

_I wrote this to you to give to you on your 10th birthday, but if something's happened to me and that's why you're reading this than I want you to have something. It's in our room, under my bed in my box. The one I've never let you look in. Go up to our room and get the box and bring it down to the living room, or wherever you are, and read this:_

Ava decided they all better head back to the house, which they did, and Derrick went up and got the box.

He came back down and sat next to his aunt to continue reading the note.

_Open the box and ignore all the stuff in there except for two things. A baseball cap, my baseball cap from when I was exactly your age. I want you to have it. And one other thing, there should be a green notebook with Bradin written across the front. That was something I wrote right after Mom and Dad died. I only want you to read it, D. and Nikki can if you want her to, it might help her to move on as I'm hoping it will help you. But no one else, got it? Good. Well, I guess that's it, no, it's not really but I can't keep babbling on and on so I'll go now! Remember, Derrick, I love you more than words can express. Oh the box and everything else in it I want you to give to Nikki, ok? I love you, little bro, I love you._

_Love,  
Brae_

Derrick opened the box and did ignore everything else until he found the two things Bradin had left to him. Then he handed the box to Nikki. Nikki took it with trembling hands and noticed an envelope with her name on it. She opened it and silently read it to herself while her aunt hugged Derrick who was crying.

_Nikki, hey, I had to write this in case I don't get to tell you personally for whatever reason. I want you to have this box and everything in it except what I give to Derrick. Some of the stuff is just junk... **most** of the stuff is just junk come to think of it! Ha, ha! Anyway, it's all yours to do whatever you want with, some of it you might give to Derrick when he gets older or whatever... it's up to you, you can keep it all if you want or throw it all away! Again it's up to you but there's **one** thing in there that holds special meaning and would mean a lot to me if you kept. It's a music box. A glass music box that Mom gave to me when I turned 16, the day I turned 16... right before she... died._

_But never mind that, that's sad, the music box isn't and neither was my 16th birthday! She gave it to me that night while she and I were walking down Old Sullivan Rd. and talking. She had brought her purse with her and we stopped down by the river, you know the one, and sat in the grass. She reached in her purse and pulled out the music box, she told me she knew it was sort of a girly thing to give a 16-year-old boy but that she wanted me to have it nevertheless. I smiled, I thought it was sort of a girly thing too, but I didn't know what it was._

_It was given to our great, great grandmother on her 16th birthday, then given to our great grandmother on hers, then our grandmother on hers and Mom's on hers and finally me on mine. Assuming you're reading this cause I'm not here then I'm giving this to you **for** yours. You know, since it's probably not your 16th birthday! But it was your gift from me. Mom told me to keep it and give it to my oldest but, Nik; I want you to have it. Besides, I'm not gonna have an oldest now am I? Ha, ha! Not funny I know... But you're probably laughing between tears now! And now you're probably smiling and still crying all at the same time and thinking, "Oh, Bradin!" Ah ha! See, I got you to smile! And now you're laughing out loud at just how accurate my predictions were!_

Sure enough, Nikki was doing all of that and now was laughing out loud making everyone stare at her, but she didn't care, her brother was still there whether you could see him or not, he always would be.

_Anyway, enough babbling on my part, open the box and get the music box! It's at the very bottom wrapped in that stupid little blanket I used to be attached to when I was 4!_

_Love ya, Nik, I love you._

_Brae_

Nikki smiled at her brother's use of stupid in front of the blanket that he used to love so much! She returned her attention to the box and rummaged around until she found the little bundle. She carefully unwrapped it, unaware that everyone was still staring at her, and took the music box in her small and trembling hands.

It was shaped like a grand piano. It was made of glass with gold "black keys" and "white keys" made of diamonds. The "bench" was made of gold. The piano "lid" was up and the inside was decorated with silver and gold. The piano itself was made of a cherry colored wood and varnished till it shone. It was simply breath taking in its beauty. Nikki's breath caught in her throat as she looked at it. She suddenly heard gasps come from all across the room and looked up to find everyone staring at her wide eyed. She smiled at how funny they all looked then carefully turned the music box over and wound the key.

_Are you going to Scarborough Fair?  
__Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.  
__Remember me to one who lives there,  
__She was once a true love of mine..._

Nikki heard the words clearly in her head being sung by her mother when she was a very young child as the music box sweetly played its tune. She felt tears come to her eyes as it played again, an octave higher than the last time. She missed her mother so much... and now Bradin. It was all too much, she clutched the music box tightly and let the tears fall down her face not caring who saw. Only a second passed before Nikki felt strong arms engulf her in a hug. She almost thought it was Bradin but quickly realized it was her boyfriend, Cameron, and fell into his loving touch. "I miss him so much, Cam, so much..." she cried into his shoulder as he held her.

"I know, Nik... It's gonna be okay though... It's gonna be okay." Cameron comforted her and held her tightly as the rest of the room erupted into tears and out-right crying. _Why did he have to kill Bradin? Why? Why? Why! Why, Jay! WHY!?_ Cameron thought to himself, rather angrily, as he held his trembling girlfriend in his arms and the sun sank low behind the horizon. _Bradin never did anything...

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Well, there it is! Hope y'all liked it but I want to hear from you whatever you thought of it!! Let me know by pressing the pretty little review button!! Thanks so much!

_Anna Christie_ AKA _SecondStarToTheRight15_


	7. I'm Here

**I do not own Summerland, but you knew that cause if I did it would STILL be on !!**

**Well, this is the sad part for me, saying my final thanks yous... I'm gonna miss all of y'all SO much!!! I can't believe this story has come to an end. But, it has.**

**Chris Grace: **Yes, they were really sad and yes, I was even upset writing the notes and having him say how proud he was of her and all... I was upset writing the whole thing really, but it was such a nice and original idea that I just had to, you know! Now, I want to thank you so much for the review and tell you how much I'm gonna miss coming on here and having a review from you! I really liked talking to ya! But, I'm not sure if you are, if you're reading my other stories than I'll see on there!! Also, if you'll make sure you're logged in when you review this chapter I'll send you a thank you reply:-) I guess I gotta go and thank everyone else now and then let y'all read the last chapter!! Thanks for being such a faithful reviewer, girl!! LAST thing, let's go out in the backyard and settle this thing once and for all. Last girl standing gets the guy! ;) Just remember this, missy, Jesse McCartney is MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!! starts punching and hitting you LOL!! You can have Zac though!!

**Krissy:** Wow, it's been a crazy emotional ride for you with this story hasn't it... lol!! AWE!! Thank you for saying so! It means more to me to hear someone tell me that I'm a good writer than you'll ever know. I'm gonna miss you, unless you're reading my others too, and your wonderful reviews!! I don't know is I'm gonna make you cry again or not... I hope not! Unless you _like _crying... lol!! Wow! I have a talent for making people cry... wait, that doesn't sound good... Lol!! I'm glad I was able to put enough emotion into it to make it so sad. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing and if you'll make sure you're logged in when you review this chapter I'll send you a thank you reply:-)

**kandykane33: **Hey there, girl! I'm glad to see you reading this!! Thanks for the review and I'm sorry I don't have more to say to ya but you haven't been leaving reviews so... lol! But thanks a million for reading and reviewing!! And if you'll make sure you're logged in when you review this chapter I'll send you a thank you reply:-) P.S. How are things?

**Alright, that's it... Here's the final chapter of _Lost Soul. _Thank y'all _SO _much for reading!**

**I hope I don't disappoint with the ending.**

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**7.**

_**I'm Here**_

"Ahh! Derrick, no!" Nikki screamed running away from Derrick, who had a baby squid in his hands, "Get that thing _away_ from me, AUNT AVA!!"

"Derrick!" Ava said trying hard not to laugh at the sight of Nikki running and Derrick chasing her with his arm outstretched, squid in hand, "Put it down, Derrick!"

"Awe..." Derrick mumbled, "It's not gonna hurt her!"

"Put it down."

"Oh alright!" Derrick scowled, "Scaredy-cat!"

"I am not! Ah! DERRICK, GET IT AWAY!!" Nikki yelled as Derrick obeyed his aunt and "put it down" _right_ next to Nikki.

"Derrick," Ava frowned at him and he picked it up and put it back in the water. Ava laughed as Derrick and Nikki suddenly "got along" as they started to build a sand castle together. She looked over at her best friend, Susannah, who was laying on a towel tanning. She smiled to herself, that was just like Susannah to not even notice the kids fighting. She laughed as her boyfriend, Johnny, knelt with Nikki and Derrick and helped them make their castle. He seemed to be enjoying it as much as they were!

"Ah," she sighed and lay back next to Susannah to tan as well.

It was mid August and Ava, Susannah, Johnny, Nikki and Derrick were out on the beach having a family day. Erica, Cameron and Martha were coming over tomorrow and they were going to have a wild and wacky party to say goodbye to summer but for right now it was just the "family."

They had all slowly moved on from Bradin's death knowing he wouldn't want them being so sad all the time. He was gone now, yes, but was not, by any means, forgotten.

Five hours later everyone gathered up their stuff and headed back to their house. Ava still sat there as Johnny came back for the last beach bag.

"Hey, you coming in?" he asked.

"In a little bit..." she replied.

"Alright." Johnny went up to the house and inside and Ava was left alone on the beach.

She looked out at the ocean, the sun was just setting in an array of beautiful red and gold colors. She sighed, it was beautiful... the surf was awesome today... If Bradin were here, he'd be out there all night... Ha, ha! She'd have to literally drag the boy home! She sighed again, this time a sigh of sadness, Bradin wasn't here and he was never coming back... Even after 9 months of him being gone she still found that hard to grasp, he was _never_ coming back.

"He's gone..." she had to actually say that out loud before she would believe it, "He's gone..." she repeated, this time in a very low whisper.

She sat in silence for another 15 minutes as the sun sank low behind the horizon.

"He's out there, Ava... his spirit is." Johnny's voice startled Ava making her jump. She looked up at him as he sat down next to her, "He's here with us right now, you know... he's probably looking at us and smiling... you know how he loved to see us together!" Johnny laughed lightly. He turned to Ava and kissed her softly, "I loved to see us together too."

"Me too." Ava whispered, "Johnny," she began and looked into the Pacific, "I wonder if he's surfing right now... out there" She nodded her head in the direction of the ocean.

"He is," Johnny said matter of factly. "He's out there right now..."

They sat in silence, their arms around each other's shoulders, until there was no light left in the sky and stars were visible overhead.

"What do you say we get home and eat before that pizza Susannah's ordering comes and goes?" Johnny said standing up.

"Alright," Ava smiled, "I'll be right there."

"K," Johnny said and walked off towards the house.

Ava stared out at the ocean and saw moonlight streaming down onto it making a beautiful shine on the water. A wave that was absolutely perfect for surfing came up and Ava watched as it swelled up and died off. She gasped suddenly and stood up. She could have sworn she had seen a silhouette of a boy riding that wave perfectly... "Could- no..." Ava tried to put the thought out of her mind but it stayed there and she smiled.

Bradin _was_ with her... he was with all of them. In their minds and in their hearts... He was watching over them from somewhere... she was sure. With one last look at the water she turned around and headed up to her house.

"I'm here, Aunt Ava..." Bradin said to himself as another wave came up and he prepared to ride it, "I'm here."

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Ah... well, there it is... I'm so sad it's over but of course, stories can't go on forever... Guess that's it... by, y'all!! Hope you're reading my other stories:-)

I hope you loved it but I wanna hear what you thought even if you hated it:D (Please make sure you are logged in when you reply if you want me to send you a thank you reply!)

_Anna Christie_ _AKA SecondStarToTheRight15_


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